Work vehicles equipped with endless elastomeric drive belts are being utilized in earthmoving and agricultural applications to replace vehicles equipped with metal track and rubber tired wheels. The vehicles having elastomeric track belts offer many advantages over previously utilized vehicles, including less weight and maintenance, lower soil compaction, lower noise levels, and the ability to travel on improved roadways.
Most of the endless track belt assemblies include a plurality of center mounted guide blocks to guide the endless belt as it rotates around the drive wheel, the guide rollers, and the idler wheel. It is important to have the endless belt properly aligned with the rollers, wheels, and guide blocks to prevent excessive contact between the guide blocks and the various rollers and wheels. Excessive contact between these members generates heat and accelerated wear.
One type of vehicle having an endless elastomeric belt and an adjustment means for adjusting the angularity of the belt is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,710 issued to B.C. Bargfrede on Sep. 24, 1991. In this patent, an adjustment device, including a plurality of inboard and outboard shims, adjusts the angular disposition of the housing assembly, and thus the inclination angle of the central axis of the idler wheel assembly. Although this is a rather simple method of adjusting the angle of the idler wheel, considerable time and effort is required to insert or remove the shims. The shims also need to be stored in some convenient place.
The present invention is directed toward overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.